1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to musical instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to percussion instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clave (pronounced clah vey) rhythm is the rhythmic pattern that forms the basis of Latin music. Clave rhythm is characteristically phrased as three beats followed by two beats, or two beats followed by three beats. Clave rhythm is typically played on a traditional instrument, which is conveniently called a "clave."
The clave is essentially a wooden rod that is held in one hand between the fingertips and the heel of the hand with the thumb used for lateral support. Holding the clave in this manner creates a sound chamber between the clave and the palm of the hand. Optionally, the clave may have a hollowed-out depression on the side facing the palm, which increases the size of the sound chamber. The clave is struck by a second wooden rod, known as the "striker." Hitting the striker and the clave together produces a distinctive, sharp, cracking sound. The distinct sound produced by the traditional clave is highly desirable to clave players and Latin music aficionados.
However, the traditional clave is a difficult instrument to play. If it is held incorrectly, the traditional clave will not produce its characteristic sound. Furthermore, while playing the traditional clave, the player's fingers are positioned such that they are subject to being accidentally hit by the striker.
In addition, traditional claves made of wood suffer from the problems common to all wooden percussion instruments. First, wooden percussion instruments are costly to produce. Wooden percussion instruments also vary in sound and pitch due to variances in density, grain structure, and other physical properties of the wood. Moreover, continued striking of a wooden percussion instrument eventually results in splintering of the wood and failure of the instrument.
The disadvantages of wood have been partially overcome in prior art designs through the use of plastic and other synthetic materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,061 discloses a plastic block-type percussion instrument. In addition, co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/237,645 discloses a plastic agogo bell, while co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/096,879 discloses a plastic "napkin block."
Nonetheless, there is a need in the art for a clave that readily produces the characteristic clave sound and overcomes the disadvantages of wood. Surprisingly, it has been discovered that a plastic clave created as described herein can produce a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave.